The World Works
by KeganHorse
Summary: As they face off in the Valley of the End, Naruto tries one last time to make his friend see reason. Sasuke always was a stubborn brat though, and Sakura won't allow them to leave her behind so easily.


Written in quite a rush, seeing as how I have to leave for work in literally five minutes, this short was inspired by the latest chapter of Naruto (693). It is basically Sasuke's idiocy and refusal to allow himself to be happy leading to his losing everything. Sasuke, you dummy.

Anyways, I don't own Naruto or anything else, really, other than a laptop and a junky car. Enjoy, comment, criticize, it don't matter. I just like to hear from y'all :)

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><p>The mountains crumbled around them, littering the valley in dusty piles of broken rock. Sasuke could feel his strength waning and knew that it was the same for Naruto. The war had taken almost everything they had and this fight was taking the rest.<p>

"You're a bigger idiot than I ever knew, Sasuke," Naruto called, patting his shirt down to dislodge the dirt. "You still don't understand anything."

Sasuke smirked, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead to keep the sweat from dripping into his already painful eyes. Naruto's barb had been a deliberate attempt to call forth some sort of emotion from the last living Uchiha, but Sasuke wasn't taking the bait.

"We were willing to give everything for you," Naruto continued. "Sakura was willing. But you turned your back on us every time. I know you care about us, why can't you see it?"

"The only people I've ever cared for are dead."

"That's a lie!"

Sasuke clenched his teeth, balling both hands into fists as the blonde continued to lecture. The bonds they had once shared, the times when he could have called his team mates his friends, they were all gone.

"There's nothing left in this world for me, don't you get it?" Sasuke yelled, his anger getting the best of him and stunning the blonde before him into silence. "Everything was taken from me because of this world. My family, my childhood, even my chance at happiness. The only way for me to get any of that back is by creating a new world."

The two boys stood there in silence, eyes locked and ready to attack at any sign of aggression. But then, Naruto laughed.

"Idiot," Naruto scoffed. "Really, you're an idiot. You didn't lose anything, you threw it all away. You turned your back on the love your family had for you when you abandoned the village. You gave away your own childhood for revenge and denied the happiness that Sakura has been trying to give you for years. You are the one to blame, Sasuke. Not the world."

Sasuke closed his eyes, fighting the feeling of exhaustion that was rapidly closing in. He had to end this fight quickly. He would win and create his new world, one where Naruto no longer existed. One that he could shape to the exact specifications he needed.

"Why do you think she annoys you so much?" Naruto pressed on. "She is the only one you hear, no matter what. You can ignore everyone else, but never her. You have been pushing her away on purpose this whole time because she has the power to make you accept this world but you just don't want to admit it!"

"Shut up!"

Naruto ceased talking, knowing that he was slowly getting Sasuke to see what he said was the truth. He only needed a little more time and he was sure he could finally fulfill his promise.

"Sakura cannot help me, Naruto," Sasuke all but whispered, his mismatched eyes careful to betray no emotion. "And I cannot help her."

"But," Naruto started, taking half a step forward before Sasuke cut him off.

"You can never understand, Naruto," Sasuke's voice had lost all emotion, and as he spoke Naruto could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was as though the boy's very words were charged with electricity. "Your parents were heroes. They died and sealed a monster into their own son for the sake of a village that murdered my entire family. If they had lived, maybe then things would have been different for the both of us. But that isn't how this world works."

Naruto tensed as Sasuke's right hand began to crackle and pop with the beginnings of a chidori. He immediately began to form a rasengan, knowing that his earlier prediction would be true. This was their last fight, and one of them would die.

"I'll create a world where families can be together. There will be no need for unnecessary sacrifice. People will either protect themselves," he raised his glowing hand, the sounds of birds echoing through the destroyed valley. "Or die."

Both boys took off at the same time, spanning the vast distance in barely a moment. But a moment was all it took her.

"Stop!"

The scene replayed itself, an image of a pink girl stepping between these two deadly attacks on the roof of a hospital. Only this time, there was no Kakashi to save her, and only one of the boys could stop himself in time.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried, canceling his jutsu just in time to avoid slamming it into her back. Her back that was now being slowly covered in a sticky wetness, Sasuke's blood soaked hand having gone right through her chest.

Sasuke's eyes were wide, his strength drained as he stared in shock at what he had done. He had never wanted to hurt her. Not even when she had betrayed him and tried to kill him, he hadn't actually wanted to do it. He had been out of his mind, though he realized after the fact that he had been counting on the rest of team seven to show up and save her. If they hadn't, he would likely have died alongside her that day.

But now, as he could no longer support her weight and the two of them fell to their knees, his arm still lodged in her chest, he couldn't recall what exactly had been so important that had lead them to this.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura muttered feebly, her eyes glazed over as blood dribbled down her chin.

Faintly, Sasuke could hear Naruto cursing in the background. He could sense Kakashi arriving, keeping his distance as he processed the scene before him. Sasuke slowly pulled his arm free, catching the pink-haired girl before her body could pitch to the side and land on the hard, unrelenting ground.

"Sakura," he breathed the word, so quietly he was sure she couldn't even hear him, lying in his arms as she was.

"I couldn't," she spoke slowly, her unseeing eyes looking to the sky. "let you kill Naruto. He is your best friend." Her voice died then, though he could still feel her body move as she struggled to breathe.

He knew all along that what Naruto had said was the truth. This girl, dying in his arms because he had killed her, was the answer. She would have made him happy, if he had allowed it. She was the only one.

But Sasuke couldn't let that happen, for finding happiness in the world that killed his family, his brother, would be a betrayal. He had wanted to created a better world, and then maybe – just maybe – he could have allowed this for himself.

Sasuke pulled Sakura's body closer and laid his head on her chest, just as his world began to darken. He heard her weak heart give one final stuttering beat before he lost consciousness, thinking once more about how this world never does work in anyone's favor.


End file.
